Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse

In 10 November 1940, a beloved famous American joined the ranks of government informant.

Most would like to think that a society runs smoothly because of a common vision of fairness and goodness. We believe that citizens can navigate daily life and broad governance as long as they are led by a moral compass. But many strong and successful leaders throughout the ages distrusted the innate good of its people. Instead they depended on another kind of citizen to keep the wheels of society running smoothly: the informant.

In ancient Greece, Hiero the Second ruled as king of Syracuse. To ensure his citizens were following his rules, he employed attractive female agents. In their walks around the city, the women would eavesdrop on merchants and officials and report back the king any wrongdoings.

In ancient China, Emperor Qin enforced his legalistic decrees by making citizens responsible for their neighbors’ transgressions. Many communities hid infractions, knowing the harsh punishments would affect the whole neighborhood, not merely the perpetrator. Qin’s way around this was to have city officials act as informants to the local governors. Governors then reported to province advisors, et cetera. He created a complex chain of tattle-tailing across the vast country that became the fore-runner of China’s postal system.

In the modern world, we assume democracies need not spy on their own people to preserve order.
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It was the Cold War and Americans were fearful of everything related to communism. Rather than trust the spirit of Americans would prevail over any homeland communist sympathies, the leader of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover created a network of informants. These informants were to report any communist activity among companies, sport franchises and Hollywood.

On November 10, 1940, Walt Disney visited Washington D.C. He began a relationship with the FBI that would last for 26 years. In exchange for his reporting on communist sympathizing actors or activity such as his own studio’s cartoonists strike, Disney secured artistic license for his films, such as That Darn Cat (1965) that involved storylines containing the FBI. During his time as an informant, Walt Disney was awarded the title, “Full Special Agent in Charge Contact.”

–Jenni Renaud

Meet the Author

I am a post-bachelor student at Schoolcraft College working towards my Elementary Teacher’s Certification. I love learning in a classroom and out in the great big world. I live in Redford with my husband, two daughters, three chickens and lucky black cat.